Geography
Aragoth Geography - Land The world of Aragoth is fictional place; it is home to three known continents connected by multiple land bridges at certain sections of them. The 3 continents previously mentioned are named as followed, Sanam in the westernmost reaches of the world, Arathos in the mid regions and Zenloria in the south and in the east. Each continent houses its own unique peoples, environments and climates along with an assortment of other factors. The people of the world believe it to be flat and as of 398 N.D. any other continents are unknown. Note on Zenloria Zenloria is the name given to the vast expanse of land making up the south and the east of the world of Aragoth. Zenloria is the only continent that has not been fully charted and it extends off of every known map into both the east and south. Either continent can be better described if split apart into two individual sub continents, so for this section they will be. Keep in mind however most of the people who do not reside in either place refer to it simply as Zenloria, with no distinction between north or south. The people who live in either of them however typically refer to themselves as living in Zenlor (south) and Xenitheria (east), the name Zenloria is merely a western combination of both names. 'Sanam' Sanam is the smallest of the three continents and is the furthest west. It is largely made up of one large island, with 2 smaller ones extending out of the north and south, they are largely uninhabited. Sanam's climate is heavily influenced by the Sea of Night in the west; this is best shown in the unique day and night cycle that affects the entire continent. Night generally lasts 16-18 hours of every day due to the thick layer of clouds that prevent much of the suns light from reaching the ground, the rest of the hours of the day are spent in a dim cloudy evening like phase. In the winter months darkness has been known to last upwards to 20 hours and freezing temperatures make life in Sanam difficult during the winters. Sanam forests are generally sparse and the few trees that grow in them are dead shells of what they once were, covered in mosses and fungi, the few bushes and grasses that cover the country side are also rare. Much of the continent is covered in dark mosses and large expanses of fungi growths that receive nutrients from decaying organic matter. ' sutter-buttes-distance.jpg|Sutter Butes North California are similer to the Mountains of the Moon in height Sutter_Buttes.jpg|Sutter Buttes- N California 1_south-butte.jpg|Sutter Buttes- N California 3595425941_dc44832fe7.jpg|The Frenchman River, Saskachawan Canada, shares similarities to the Three Sisters. ' 'The Mountains of the Moon ' Much of the continent is positioned between the North and South ranges of the Mountains of the Moon, The Mountains are significantly smaller than most of the other mountain ranges found outside of Sanam and they rarely exceed 2,000 ft in height. The Northern range extends down the western coast of Sanam and ends at roughly its middle point, the Southern Range is far smaller and only exists along the south eastern coast of Sanam, this leaves a significant area of coastline open along the south west and north east of Sanam. 'The Three Sisters' Three small rivers flow across the continent from north to south, named collectively as the sisters and apart as Nirm, Merna and Frias. The sisters provide much of the people’s water and serve as a means of transportation for much of the trade within the one kingdom that resides on the continent. Their sources are unknown, but likely spring from a small glacial lake somewhere in the Northern Mountains of the Moon. 'Arathos' 'South Zenloria (Zenlor)' South Zenloria is the southernmost landmass in the known world, its southern and western reaches are entirely uncharted by any known map and it remains the least understood of any continent. In the north it touches Outriders Gulf, the Hassarai Desert region that makes up the northern section of the sub continent are scattered with trade posts because of it, and the local inhabitants. In the charted parts of the west, it touches the Sea of Night and is covered in thick steaming jungles that extend into the heart of the sub continent. In the east it borders the Sunar Ocean and this portion of the sub continent varies from savannah to desert to fertile coastlands. The eastern edges of the steaming jungles fade away into savannah as they approach the sea and in the north, northwest and southeast parts of the sub continent it quickly turns to desert, in the northeast however they become rich coastlands that allow for thriving city states to exist thanks to the large Zambivi river that flows northwards out of the steam jungles. The sub continent is uniquely divided into two known parts, in the north is the previously mentioned part and in the south is the exotic realm of Nii. The reason for the division of the two is caused by the steam jungles reaching the Sunar Ocean at about mid way down coast of the entire known continent. The steam jungles follow the coast south for many kilometres before finally ending at the Naijong mountains and giving way to the exotic land of Nii. Little is known about Nii apart from that it is controlled by a mighty empire that is referred to simply as the Niijon Empire. A small city state resides on an island off the coast of the continent and is referred to only as Wiri, it is known for being a pirate and slaver stronghold made up of peoples from both Zenlor and Xenitheria. Very few maps depict the land of Nii and it is almost completely unknown (apart from a few travelers and intellectuals) anywhere north of Sunas. Back up in the north-eastern corner of the sub continent, the Peleg Island chain connects the two continents of Zenlor and Xenitheria together. The islands are inhabited by a series of small farming and fishing villages that belong to no true nation; they are very similar to the fertile coastlands of north-eastern Zenlor and south-western Xenitheria and serve as a route for any passing ships. 'The Zambivi River' One large river known as the Zambivi flows northwards out of the steaming jungles and into the Bay of Sunar, the delta of the river allows for the mighty city of Sunas to survive and serves as a trade system for all the peoples along its great length. The people who live along it are organized into primitive tribes that hunt, fish and farm along and within the river, trade with them results in ivory, furs and other exotic goods being brought east to Sunas. 'The Steam Jungles' The name Steam Jungles is only a title given to the vast quanitity of land that makes up most of Zenlor; it is just a title that serves to collect all of the native and regional names given to the different sections of the jungle. The jungles stretch from the northwest of the continent all the way south to Nii and possibly beyond. Their south-western border remains unknown and extends into the uncharted lands where only fables are known. The jungles are dark almost always and thick vines the size of men’s arms hang from the canopy that towers hundreds of feet up into the skies. The Zambivi River flows from the central area of the jungles and likely comes from an uncharted mountain range somewhere beyond the dark jungles. The few known peoples of the Steam Jungles typically avoid outsiders and from what is known about them display a primitive existence, rumours however of a vast jungle empire somewhere off of the current maps can be heard across the Sunar Ocean. 'The Hassarai and Hasain Deserts' The Hassarai and Hasain Deserts refer to the two deserts that exist in both the north and southeast parts of the continent. The Hassarai Desert is spread across the north coast of Zenlor from the Bay of Storn all the way to the Peleg Islands in the east. Most of the desert is covered in massive sand dunes that tower over small mountains, it is dry and arid and the only note worthy inhabitants are the traders that occupy the coastal trade posts, and the native Hassarain desert nomads who trade with them. Sandstorms frequently strike the trade posts further inland and trade posts can often be found abandoned their occupants presumed lost or dead out in the sands. Its temperatures are significantly hotter than the surrounding regions, but are far less hot than it brother to the south. The Hasain Desert unlike the Hassarai Desert in the north is far hotter and can reach temperatures where water will evaporate in seconds. It is located along the eastern coast of Zenlor and is significantly smaller than its brother desert in the north. Sandstorms are less of a concern here, however they can quite easily appear and scatter one of the few caravans that march across the coasts towards the exotic land of Nii in the far south. Sand dunes are much smaller here and rarely reach such colossal heights as those in the Hassarai Desert. Its only human inhabitants are the Snake peoples of Hasain who dwell among the sheltered oases that scatter the desert. They are typically hostile and avoid outside contact and trade with them has only received hostility in return, they do not randomly target travelers, but will attack if they feel their territory is being threatened. 'The Great Savanah' The Great Savannah refers to the region of Zenlor that is as its name suggests primarily savannah. The region is populated by primitive tribes who farm, hunt and fish around the Zambivi River that runs through the center of the savannah. Elephants, rhinos, leopards and other exotic creatures roam the savannah and are hunted for their furs, horns and ivory which the locals trade to the Sunarian ships that sail up and down the great river. Geography - Water Apart from land masses several oceans cover the world. The major ones are separated into the Frost Maul in the far north , the Sea of Night in the far west and the Sunar Ocean in the far southeast. 'The Frost Maul' The Frost Maul is the ocean that covers the northern portion of the world. It is perpetually cold and blizzards and storms are a common occurance all year long. Its outskirts are home to a few trade routes during the summer months, but even then ships traversing this coastline are few and far between. Deeper north the sea is covered in thousands of ice bergs that make travel dangerous all year round, this region is known as the ice fields, at the northernmost point ice caps tower hundreds of feet about the water preventing any further travel. Generally the only people willing to brave this far north are whalers out of Bormos, Targon or the Dwarven port cities, but even they rarely stray to far into the ice fields. "You open your eyes long enough to look out and you’re blinded for the next half an hour, but if you don’t and you hit a berg... you won’t even have time to wish you had looked, the water will kill you before you can.” -Unknown Sailor "The walls towered above our ship, a thousand feet upwards they loomed and chunks of ice the size of city blocks fell from its unseen heights sending waves that could topple a ship if you steered to close." -Konros Thorman, when his ship approached the ice caps. Antarctic_1389249c.jpg|Antarctic icefields served as inspiration for the Frost Maul 'The Sea of Night' The Sea of Night resides in the far western portion of the world. It primarily borders Sanam, but at its farthest south it touches the coasts of western Zenloria. All year round it is dark due to a thick layer of cloud that covers the skies. Sunlight rarely reaches to far westwards and eventually total darkness takes over and travel becomes near impossible. The few ships that travel westwards beyond Sanam rarely return, those that do only report that they turned back when total blackness began to consume everything. At its northern most point it borders the Frost Maul, this leads to ice bergs regularly floating south, this tied with the almost absolute darkness make travel in the north impossible. In its south it stretches into the unexplored western coasts of Zenloria, further south it continues into a dark and foreboding realm that remains unknown. No cities border the sea and sea trade is almost never even thought of for the few towns that reside along the western coasts of Armoria. For this same reason piracy is also not an issue, for there is very little worth stealing in the seas of always night. "Black as night and cold as the grave, bergs float inches from the ship and you wouldn’t know it until you stuck your hand out and touched it." -Konros Thorman, as his ship sailed down the northwest coast of Sanem. "Jorgos Brackin fell into the dark waters and before he could cry out he was sucked into the deeps by an unknown creature, strange things lurk out in the darkness, be thankful our gods protect you heathen." -Sanem dark shaman, when asked about the Sea of Night. Sanem.jpg|Simiar to western coasts of Sanem 'The Sunar Ocean' The Sunar Sea takes up the large body of water in the south eastern portion of the known world. It divides Zenloria in two and is crossable at its northernmost point in the Peleg islands. North of it lies Outriders Gulf and to its south lies the exotic land of Nii, its easternmost border remains uncharted. The ocean is filled with trade routes carrying an assortment of cargoes; it offers many of the Sunar-Zenlorian nation’s access to the lucrative trade waters of Outriders gulf while also allowing for protection from the expanding Niijon and Wiri kingdoms, via frequent tropical storms during half of the year. Pirates and slavers patrol the eastern sector of the ocean looking for the few travelers that make the voyage eastwards into Tiberia and Plutong. "The sea is not a danger to those who travel south, but stray into the east and you will face pirates, slavers, cannibals and worse." - Heras Tapasph Priestess of Rapateph in Numari. "The Niijon Empress sent sixty war ships to take this city, every one of them now lies at the bottom of my bay and all I had to do was wait until it rained." - King Rasmo of Sunas, when presented with a declaration of war from the Gurgen Queens of Arapos. "Waters blue, skies blue, fish are blue, even some of the ships are blue." - Unknown Sea Captain sardinian-beaches-1024x768.jpg|Sardinian coast, similar in apearance to Sunar Ocean. las-islas-cies-galicia-spain-8.jpg|Galician Islands offer some more ideas. Hormoz Island Persian Gulf.jpg|Persian Gulf, Isle of Hormoz, similar in apearance to Sunar Ocean 'Lesser Waters' Apart from these, several smaller bodies of water make up the world, they are as listed 'Outriders Gulf' The central body of water between Arathos and Zenloria, several trade routes span it linking either continent. It is a warm water region and winters affect only its very northern section. In the far north it is halted at the Bleak Strait and beyond this is the Frost Maul. In its west it borders the Bay of Storn and beyond this the Sea of Night and the Grey Sea. In the South it is bordered by the Bay of Sunar. 'The Bay of Storn' The Bay of Storn resides just off the coast of the principality of Storn, it is plagued by storms that flow down out of the mountains to the north and serves as a trade route between Sanam and Outriders Gulf. In the west it borders The Sea of Night and the Grey Sea. In the East it is halted by Outriders Gulf. Its southern and northern borders are coastal regions of both Arathos and Zenloria. 'The Grey Sea' The Grey Sea is a small sea that separates Sanam from Arathos. It is subject to the cold storms and winds that flow south out of the Frost Maul during the winter months. Every major port within Sanam borders on this sea and it serves as the most western spot on every trade route. Its south it is covered in small islands known as the Shutter that connect it to Arathos. Beyond the Shutter the waters either split into the Bay of Storn or south west into the Sea of Night. It north is dominated by the Frost Maul and very few trade routes continue into the frozen sea. Although it is possible for ships traverse the northern sea and exit on the opposite side of Arathos and come out at the Bleak Strait, very few traders choose this path for its dangerous conditions. 'The Bleak Strait' The Bleak Strait is a narrow strait that separates northern Arathos from northern Zenloria. It is often difficult to pass through during the winter months due to massive the amount of ice bergs flowing south out of the Frost maul. At its southern most point it flows through the port city of Bormos before flowing south into Outriders Gulf. Mountains cover both coasts of the passage keeping any settlements from developing in its cold domain, Dwarven cities however open up at its most northern point allowing for some sea trade further south. 'The Bay of Sunar' The Bay of Sunar is the large bay that makes up a significant portion of the Sunar Ocean. It separates Outriders Gulf from the open waters of the Sunar Ocean and houses the port of Sunas, the largest city in all of Zenloria. All trade between Outriders Gulf and the Sunar Ocean passes through the bay and this has led to incredible wealth for the cities that lie on the bays shores. At its most northern point it connects into Outriders gulf through the Peleg island chain. 'Winters Passage' Winters Passage refers to the narrow passage of water that separates Arathos from the island of Shochelm in the northwest. It is usually impassable due to the clusters of ice bergs that gather in it, it is littered with the wreckage of destroyed ships that tried to journey through it and failed. The few ships that have successfully passed through it have emerged battered and in need of costly repairs. 'Khaldum's Lake' Khladum's Lake is one of the largest lakes in the known world. It resides far up in the Frostback mountains of Arathos and was formed by the melting of a glacier. It serves as a source of water for most of the Dwarven cities and derives its name from the Dwarven explorer Khaldum Dhan who successfully charted the entire lake in 233 N.D. along with his crew of 23 dwarves. The lake winds its way between the large mountains and is about 320m at its deepest. 'Gheerak's Spill' Gheerak's Spill is the longest river in the known world and runs out of the Old Mountains of eastern Zenloria/Xenitheria and into Outriders Gulf. Its only competition for the title of longest is the Zambivi River in south Zenloria/Zenlor, whose end has never been charted. Its name is derived from the Orcish god Gheerak, who according to their mythology died somewhere in the east and the river is the one of the last streams of his blood draining into the sea. The river and the surrounding lands are home to both sub human races the Orcs and the Imps. The Orcs generally live in the grassy hill country that borders the north side of the river, whereas the Imps live further east in the mountains deep within valleys and in underground caverns. Trade along the river is restricted to a few orcish riverboats that serve to transport what few goods are produced among the villages down river to the Bormosi port city of Helen. The lands surrounding Gheerak's spill are some of the most sparsely populated areas in all of Aragoth and beyond Helen very few settlements of men exist. 'Roth and Rois' Roth and Rois are two twin rivers that split from an unnamed mountain river, said river flows from the Frostback Mountains at their most southern point. They separate the Kingdom of Armoria from the Principality of Storn and serve as a water source for much of the people in the region. The area between the two rivers is officially under neither monarchies control and is ruled by a council of lords from the few small castles that remain in the region. In times of war they usually side with one monarchy or the other and when in peace are referred to simply as the Crosslands. Although no proper city resides in the Crosslands, both Storn and Arnoria have cities built along either rivers length. In the north the Arnorian cities of Tydol and Asurn stand near the mouth of the river Rois and in the south the Stornish city of Greyrock resides where the two rivers split. 'Stoan' Stoan is the name given to the river that runs through northern Armoria and into the northern portion of the Grey Sea. It runs largely within the uninhabited mountain valleys and serves little relevance to the people of Armoria. Despite this however its size makes it one of the larger rivers in the world. 'Ashenya' Ashenya is considered by many to be the mightiest and largest river in the world. It runs out of one of the glacial lakes deep in the Frostbacks and flows into Outriders Gulf. The once great city of Balainis rests at her mouth and still serves as a trade hub in the Gulf to this day. The remnants of the Arasoth Empire rely on her for much of its trade and many ships use her as a means to reach settlements further inland. Its name is derived from the Arasothian goddess of water.